Every year, Minnesota Atheists nominate and elect board members to serve in leadership roles for our organization. This year, at the January membership meeting. nine atheists were nominated by the membership and await election in February. Nominees for the board are, Bjorn Watland, Jeannette Watland, Grant Steves, Jack Caravela, Andy Flamm, George Kane, Cathy Prody, Crystal Dervetski, and Mike Haubrich. Read the full article to see their candidate statements.

Bjorn Watland — Nominee for President

I'm Bjorn. Despite being the web editor, you've
probably seen me offline, either on the cable showor at one of our many
events. I work with CASH at the U of MN to serve as a resource to a
successful student organization. I also work with the Secular Student
Alliance at the national level to make our student groups around the
state even more successful.

I have been inspired by the many different kinds
of members Minnesota Atheists has attracted.My focus for the next year
will be to delegate eager volunteers to run events that interest them,
including book clubs, discussion groups, pub nights, and anything else
people come up with in order to grow our community. Atheism doesn't
have to be a lonely lifestyle.

Jeannette Watland —Nominee for Associate President

I'm Jeannette. You may have seen me at different
events over the last few years, such as the pub crawl, blood drive, or
membership meetings. I've worked with young special needs children as
part of my degree at the U of M and use those skills at Camp Quest of
MN as a counselor.

For Minnesota Atheists, I've been working to
shrink the generation gap between college age atheists and our
membership. I've also worked with the Charitable Works Committee to
help our community and to make the image of atheists a positive one. I
look forward to participating in community outreach events like
speeches, and parades.

Grant Steves — Nominee for Chair

It has been a privilege to serve the MNA community as the Associate
Chair. I look forward to the responsibility of being the Chair of the
Board.
In the last two years, I have dedicated my time to helping produce
cable shows, conducting interviews on the radio show, writing and
editing for the Newsletter, and presenting topics at the membership
meetings.
As the Chair of MNA, I would like to maintain and develop the
organization. We need to continue to expand our membership by using new
and creative methods. We need to continue putting into practice our
media line: “If you are interested in us; we are interested in you.” In
my professional career, I served as the Chair of several school
district committees, and as the President and Vice President of the
local teacher’s professional group. Being a leader has taught me the
importance of listening often and speaking seldom.

Statement from Jack Caravela — Nominee for Associate Chair

I served as Treasurer of Minnesota Atheists in 2006 and 2007, choosing
to fill a necessary role in its operation while learning more about how
it is run. Those years showed significant progress, but the greater
growth and innovations of the past year have inspired me to serve
again, this time as Associate Chair.
My main interest remains the same: to build membership. The past year
has seen new faces, new initiatives and new participants, reminding me
how much more we can achieve with greater numbers. Although we have
seen a notable increase in ranks of Minnesota Atheists, the growth of
subscribers to our Meet-up website has been tremendous. I plan to find
ways to encourage more of those who have shown an interest through
Meet-up to get involved with Minnesota Atheists and help our
organization grow with a diverse mix of people who share the goals of
community building and activism in support of secular government and
society.

George Kane — Nominee for Secretary

George Francis Kane is running for a second consecutive term as
Secretary, an office he has held a total of seven years. He has been a
member of Minnesota Atheists for thirteen years, and has served on the
Board of Directors for the last eleven. During that time he has been
both President and Chair, and has engaged in a variety of outreach
beyond the atheist community. He is a regular interviewer on Atheists
Talk, both on cable TV and on radio. He was also a frequent interviewer
on “Freethought Forum.” He writes the News and Notes column on
church/state separation issues for the Minnesota Atheist newsletter. In
2000, George started a Freethought Toastmasters Club in Saint Paul, the
second Toastmasters Club in the nation formed especially for the
development of Freethinkers. George graduated from the University of
California at Berkeley in 1970 with a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy.

Andy Flamm — Nominee for Treasurer

As the incumbent, I feel confident that I am the best candidate for
treasurer in this election. My opponents are all Bozos who lack
experience. Heck, they think that just because they can see a bank from
their window that they know how to manage the funds of a large and
growing organization. If you don't want to see all of Minnesota
Atheists' cash go up in smoke, vote for me. And please, let's keep this
election positive.

Cathy Prody — Nominee for Director at Large

I am seeking an at-large position on the board, a position I held
approximately four years ago, before a job took me to Michigan. I have
been a member of Minnesota Atheists for approximately seven years,
remaining a member while I was in Michigan. Returning to the Twin
Cities after being away for about three years, it has been exciting to
see the changes that have occurred with Minnesota Atheists. For
example, membership is more diverse, with younger people taking active
roles. Also outreach with talk radio, cable and meet-up groups has
increased our visibility in a positive way. If elected, I will focus on
any legal issues that may arise. I am also interested in maintaining
high ethical standards both on the board and with our representation of
atheism to the public. I have a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the
University of California at Berkeley, and a law degree from William
Mitchell College of Law. I am a practicing patent attorney.

Crystal Dervetski — Nominee for Director at Large

Hello everyone. I began my membership with MNA in March 2008. Becoming
quite active over the last year, I'm truly committed to our motto,
“Positive Atheism in Action” through my work and actions. I am a firm
proponent of not being passive with our mission, and I advocate
anywhere can for our organization.
Currently, I manage the MNA MySpace page, am assistant organizer for
the SMNA Meet Up, assist with managing the MNA forum, and am on the
Editorial Board. I also had the pleasure of
working on the Atheists Talk TV show for two episodes. I write for the
MNA Newsletter and also my local paper. Giving back actively is
important to me, so I am very involved in charity work as well. Being
an outspoken person, I feel I exemplify the idea that atheists are
kind, positive and rational influences. I would do anything I could to
assist with the functioning of MNA and keep it as successful as it
already is.

Mike Haubrich— Nominee for Director at Large

My name is Mike Haubrich, and I have been a member since April, 2007.
In my time with the Minnesota Atheists I have participated in many
activities, and have had a great deal of fun. I look forward to the
opportunity to give back to the group that has opened for me many
opportunities I would otherwise never have had. I have been a radio
host, and am now the Director of Atheists Talk. I am a member of the
Freethought Ramblers. We have only one “gig” under our belts, but we
have another planned for this summer. The Minnesota Atheists are an
organization constantly in flux. I will be involved in activities to
help attract new and retain existing members. There are ways to use fun
and technology to further our ends. I look forward to being a member of
the board as a Director-at-Large.